The tech world is mad about its speakers. The good ones, that is.

NO HIGH TECH CONFERENCE has demonstrated all that is good and bad in a public speaking engagement quite like the Macworld Expo. In January 1997, Apple Computer was suffering increasing losses and seemed mired in indecision. CEO Gil Amelio had one chance to restore the company's tarnished image. He blew it. During the keynote address, he rambled on for nearly three hours, lamenting the company's lagging financials and introducing the newest products without much enthusiasm. Some audience members stifled yawns others were visibly distraught. In a word disaster.

Half a year later, Steve Jobs--who succeeded Amelio in a triumphant return to Apple--swept the audience away with a presentation that included, of all things, an orchestrated, friendly exchange between him and his longtime nemesis, Bill Gates. Apple stock jumped 50% by the middle of the week. In a Macworld Expo encore the following year, Jobs again proved a formidable stage presence. On the eve of his keynote speech, it was uncertain whether the expectant father would be able to make it to New York at all. When he did arrive, after a late-night flight, the Apple faithful greeted him with a standing ovation. What he unveiled in his presentation--the iMac and the new G3--still reverberate as some of the most potent product introductions of recent times. Love Jobs or hate him, the man understands the theatrical coup.

The high tech industry holds thousands of gatherings all over the world each year--from trade shows like Comdex and Agenda to run-of-the-mill sales meetings or users' conferences. For a technology company to succeed, the CEO needs to be more than just a business tactician he or she must also be an articulate speaker and advocate, able to hold his or her own among the pundits and authors who populate such gatherings. Says CNet's top man Halsey Minor, a much-traveled speaker, "The external role of a CEO is far more important today than ever before, because the market, the press, and analysts have such a huge impact on the perception of a company and its brand."

Being able to tell the company story well is an indispensable skill, whether to entice investors, recruit employees, forge partnerships, or stake your claim in the market. "If the CEO doesn't appear to be a good communicator, we don't fund the company," says Ann Winblad, of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in San Francisco. Not even established companies are exempt from such absolute judgments. In May 1999, Lou Gerstner gave a forceful speech to analysts, announcing IBM's transition to an "e-business" company. His carefully crafted remarks caused the stock to jump nearly 10% in a single day.

SPEECHES ARE WEAPONS in the marketing arsenal," says David Erickson, editor of Technology Meetings, a publication that covers conference and seminar planning. Savvy tech executives are well aware of the power of this weapon, whether they are wielding it or it's being used against them. "Microsoft has a literally unlimited [marketing communications] budget, and Bill Gates has a bigger bully pulpit than the president. When you have to compete with that, any edge you can find helps,' says Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy, who often peppers his speeches with potshots at Gates. One of the biggest complaints of event planners, however, is that corporate speakers make a sales pitch when they should be presenting real information. Says Leonard Heymann, vice president of content for ZD {Ziff-Davis} Events, "Those speakers don't get invited back."

Speaking engagements are also a way for executives at smaller companies to gain exposure. Kim Polese, CEO of Marimba, is a prime example of someone whose career was powerfully boosted by public appearances. After a speech at a Netscape developers conference, offers poured in Agenda, PCExpo, NetWorld+Interop, even a debate at Oxford University. The demands became so overwhelming that she began to cut back severely on what she would accept. "I was speaking at a major event at least once a month," she recalls. "It was crazy. I spent my Saturdays in the office, drafting speech after speech." But the whirlwind speech circuit paid off in a big way with Marimba's $92 million IPO this past April.

The CEO needs to be an articulate speaker, able to hold his or her own among the pundits and authors who populate industry conferences.

A speech also offers top executives a way to get out into the field and communicate with customers. "I use this as an opportunity to keep my finger on the pulse of what's going on in the industry," says Wenda Harris Millard, an executive VP at DoubleClick, an Internet advertising solutions company. Qwest Communications CEO Joe Nacchio agrees. "In the past, there was a notion that the CEO was above it all--that he was an adjudicator rather than a participant," says Nacchio. "A speech allows you to get in the middle of things."

WHAT IS THE AUDIENCE looking for in a speech? Well, it depends. Although most of our survey respondents said industry insight is the most important element, there were plenty of votes for organized thought, humor, entertainment, and controversy. Although Oracle CEO Larry Ellison was our big winner {see page 117}, the troika of high tech giants--Microsoft, Cisco, and Intel--all have strong speakers at their helms, according to our survey and interviews. It is not surprising, given their ability to engage audiences, that Bill Gates and John Chambers habitually give the keynote addresses for such major industry shows as Comdex and NetWorld+Interop.

Jeff Bezos and Michael Dell may not have the years of experience of Intel's Andy Grove, but they have gained fame speaking their minds on e-commerce and direct selling. Bezos has become famous for his hearty laugh and enlightening speeches. "He's always thinking three steps ahead of everyone else," says Hambrecht & Quist senior analyst Genni Combes. Ellison and McNealy captivate audiences with their humor while rarely pulling their punches. But when it comes to putting across a corporate vision in a memorable way, nobody outdoes Apple's resurgent CEO. "Steve Jobs is the best auditorium-based demagogue [in the business],' says venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. "He gets the award for being able to convince the crowd to drink the Kool-Aid."

Apple has proven to be a breeding ground for other popular and talented speakers. Former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki, now CEO of garage.com, a seed capital market maker, is considered by many to be one of the best speech makers in Silicon Valley. Kawasaki even holds a boot camp for budding entrepreneurs that includes a panel presentation on public speaking.

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